System for feeding the condensate of steam heating installations in railroad cars



A nl 3, 1962 F. SEIDL SYSTEM FOR FEEDING THE CONDENSATE OF STEAM HEATING INSTALLATIONS IN RAILROAD CARS Filed April 20, 1956 WATER COLLECTING F/Gl CONDENSATE CONTAINER LOCOMOTIVE BRAKE CYLINDER CONDENSATE CONTAINER SERVICE WATER TANK 9 BRAKE CYLINDER CONDENSATE CON DENSATE-5 CONDENSATE CONTAINER Td N m m ma u w e w 5 LOCOMOTIVE /WATER COLLECTING TANK /6 Al CONDENSATE CONTAINER 9 BRAKE CYLINDER SYSTEM FOR FEEDIING TEE (IQNDENSATE F STEAM HEATING HNTALLATKONS IN RAH ROAD CARS Friedrich Seidl, Vienna, Austria, assignor to Messrs. Alex, Friedmann Komrnandit-Gesellschaft, Vienna, Austria Filed Apr. 20, 1956, Ser. No. 579,526 11 Claims. (Cl. 237--40) It is a disadvantage to discharge the condensate formed in steam heating installations in railroad cars into the open because that the condensate has been softened to a considerable degree and has a certain heat content, which is lost when the condensate is discharged into the open. With diesel locomotive traction, the loss of water is a disadvantage in itself because the water tanks of diesel locomotives have a relatively small volume and the loss of condensate must continually be replaced. In all cases the frequent refilling of the boiler with fresh water is. a disadvantage owing to the formation of boiler scale. It has been proposed already to use the pressure in the steam heating installation for feeding the condensate into the service water container of the toilet installation of the car so that the condensate can at least be used for washing purposes. This does not remove the disadvantage, however, that this condensate is lost for the steam heating installation and that the boiler of the locomotive must continually be refilled with water because the pressure prevailing in a low-pressure steam and condensate heating installation is not sufficient for feeding the condensate as far as to the locomotive. In low-pressure steam heating installations, however, the condensate must be able to emerge without backpressure at the end of the heating installation in order to ensure a complete expansion of the steam and because the radiator must be capable of filling partly with air if the heating is throttled. In such low-pressure steam heating installations, therefore, no steam pressure is available which could be used for feeding the condensate. For this reason, it was necessary to discharge the condensate occurring in low-pressure steam heating installations of railroad cars in any case into the open without utilization, so that the condensate was lost.

It is an object of the invention to provide a system for feeding the condensate of steam heating installations in railroad cars, particularly of low-pressure steam heating plants in which no steam pressure is available for raising the condensate. The invention resides essentially in that the condensate discharge line from the radiators leads to a closed condensate container, which has connected to its lower part, a condensate feed line and to its upper part a compressed-air line, through which compressed air, coming more particularly from the brake system of the cars, is intermittently supplied to the container. This arrangement enables the condensate collected in the condensate container to be fed by the air pressure acting on the water level in that container. The source of pressure may consist of the air pressure system of the usually existing air brake. With low-pressure steam heating installations, the condensate may fiow into the condensate container without pressure so that the operation of the low-pressure steam heating installation is not adversely affected by backpressure at the point of condensate discharge. In air braking systems, the lifting or release of the brakes is effected by discharging compressed air from the brake cylinder through the control valve of the brake cylinder into the open. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, this compressed air, which usually escapes into the open, is used for operating the feeding system for the condensate, with the compressed-air line being connected to the outlet of the control valve of the brake cylinder where the compressed air escapes upon lifting of the brakes. Since compressed air is utilized which usually escapes into the open without utilization, the operation of the condensate feeding system does not involve an additional consumption of compressed air and an additional loading of the compressor provided for the generation of compressed air. Since the pressurizing of the condensate container is made to depend on the braking operation, an intermittent application of pressure to the condensate container is automatically achieved so that the condensate container becomes unpressurized and the condensate can flow into the condensate container without backpressure or, in the case of a low-pressure steam and condensate heating installation, can be fed into the condensate container by a small pressure prevailing in the heating installation, between the periods of pressure application in which the condensate is fed.

According to the invention, the condensate feed line may be directly or indirectly connected to a condensate collecting line which extends through the car, is connected by couplings to the condensate collecting lines of the adjacent cars and leads to a collecting container in the locomotive. In that case, the recovered condensate is recycled to the boiler and heating installation and the fresh water consumption is at least substantially reduced. The partial recovery of the heat contained in the condensate increases the economic efiiciency of the operation and the re-use of the considerably softened condensate reduces the formation of boiler scale. As required, the condensate may also be fed into a water reservoir disposed in the car, e.g., into the service water container of the toilet installation of the car, so that this softened, warm condensate may be used at least for washing purposes. This is of great importance with low-pressure steam heating installations, where no steam pressure is available for raising the condensate. The raising of the condensate into such service water container will not preclude the feeding of at least part of said condensate to the boiler of the locomotive and thus to the heating cycle. In all cases in which the service water container of the toilet installation is filled by the condensate and the latter is fed from said service water container to the water container of the locomotive, the arrangement may be such that the condensate feed line leading from the service water container to the condensate collecting line is connected to the service water container at a distance above the bottom thereof so that a supply of service water will always remain in the service water container and may be used for washing purposes, etc.

In conjunction with low-pressure steam heating installations, the arrangement is such according to the invention that the condensate discharge line leads to the condensate container through a non-return valve kept open by a bias, e.g., by a weight bias, and acted upon in a closing sense by the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the condensate container, and that the condensate discharge line is provided at a point in front of the non-return valve and above the level of the condensate being discharged with a vent opening which leads into the open and forms at the same time an overflow for excessive condensate. This vent opening leading into the open ensures that any backpressure at the outlet end of the heating installation will be avoided so that the control of the heating installation is in no Way affected. The non-return valve prevents an action of the air pressure on the outlet end of the heating installation and enables the pressure in the condensate container to build up suificiently for raising the condensate. The bias whereby the non-return valve is kept open permits of a flow of condensate to the condensate container during that time in which said condensate container is unpressurized so that the condensate collecting at the outlet end of the heating installation is continually fed to the condensate container, out of which it is raised during the period of pressure application, e.g. upon lifting of the brake. In order to ensure the tree and unhindered flow of thecondensate from the low-pressure steam heating plant to the condensate container and nevertheless avoid the occurrence of a possibly disturbing backpressure in the case of a slight lifting of the brake, the bias of the non-return valve is selected according to the invention to permit the same to be closed only when the air pressure exceeds the pressure required for feeding the condensate. This will in no way adversely atiect the operation of the feeding system because a pressure below the pressure required for feeding the condensate would not be suificient for feeding and would remain inefiective.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically with reference to exemplary embodiments in the drawing.

FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, are a side view and top plan view showing a low-pressure steam heating installation of a railroadrcar with the condensate feed system.

FIG. 3 shows a detail, and

FIG. 4 is a side View showing a modified embodiment of a low-pressure steam heating installation with the condensate feed system.

1 is the steam line extending through the car. The radiators 2 of the low-pressure steam heating installation are connected in the usual manner to that steam line. Steam flows from the steam line 1 through the thermostatcontrolled steam inlet valves 3 into the radiators 2. This may also be controlled in a manner known by automatic or manual adjusting means, which are not shown. The steam expanded to low pressure flows through the radiators. The condensate runs off at the end of the radiators. The end of the radiators is connected at 4 to a common condensate discharge line 5. The condensate discharge line 5 is connected by way of a control valve 6, which is shown on a larger scale in FIG. 3, to a condensate container 7. '8 denotes the control valve of the brake cylinder 9 of the air brake system of the car. The control valve 8 is supplied with compressed air from the locomotive through a line 1%. Upon lifting or release of the brakes, compressed air escapes from the control valve 8. The outlet for this compressed air has connected thereto a line 11 which leads also to the control valve 6.

As is apparent from FIG. 3 a non-return valve formed by a flap i3 is provided at the point 12 where the condensate discharge line 5 is connected to the control valve 6. The flap 13 is kept open by a weight 14 so that the condensate can flow without hindrance from the con densate discharge line 5 into the condensate container 7. The condensate discharge line 5 is provided at an elevated point with a vent opening 15, which has connected thereto an outlet pipe 16 leading into the open. The vent opening 15 ensures that backpressure will not act on the condensate discharge line 5. In the case of an excessive formation of condensate, the vent opening 15 serves as an outlet for condensate. The container 7 has a condensate feed line 17 connected thereto, whose mouth 18 lies at the lowest point of the condensate container 7. The upper end of the condensate feed line connects to the service Water container 19 of the toilet installation of the car. The upper mouth 26 of the condensate feed line 17 is disposed in the upper part of the service water container 19. The service water container 19 is tightly sealed. A pipe 21 extends into the service water container and has its mouth 22 disposed in the lower part of the service water container 19. The pipe 21 constitutes another part of the condensate feed line and is connected to a condensate collecting line 23 extending through the car. A shut-oif valve 24 and a coupling 25 are provided at the end of said condensate collecting line 23. A coupling hose 26 may be used to connect the condensate collecting line 23 through the coupling 25a and the shut-oif valve 24a to the condensate collecting line 23a of the next following car. The condensate collecting line 23 leads to a collecting tank, which is arranged in the locomotive and from which the condensate can be supplied to the boiler.

The pressure in the container '7 acts on the flap 13 and tends to close the same. When lifting of the brakes causes compressed air to enter the compressed-air line 11, the flap 13 will be closed and the air pressure occurring in the container 7 will feed the condensate from the container 7 through the condensate feed line 17 into the service water container 19. Pressure will also build up in the service water container 19 to force the condensate from the service water container 19 through the second part 21 of the condensate feed line into the condensate collecting line 23 and from there to the collecting container on the locomotive.

The mouth 22 of the condensate feed line 21 is spaced from the bottom of the service water container 19. For this reason a certain amount of water up to the level 27' will always be kept in the service water container 19 and may be used for washing purposes.

As has been mentioned, the flap 13 is kept open by the weight 14 unless compressed air acts on the flap to close the same. The weight bias is selected to permit the flap '13 to be closed only by a pressure which exceeds the pressure required to feed the condensate. Thus it is avoided that the flap 13 might be closed by a slight lifting of the brake, which causes the pressure in the condensate container 7 to build up only to a value insuiiicient for feeding. In the case of such a slight pressure rise, the fiap 13 remains open and the compressed air can escape through the vent opening 15.

The embodiment according to FIG. 4 differs from the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2 only in that the condensate feed line 17 opens directly into the condensate collecting line 23, which may now be disposed at the floor of the car. Such arrangement will be chosen when it is not necessary to supply a service water container and when it is desired to return the entire condensate to the heating cycle.

What I claim is:

1. In a steam heating system of railroad cars, having a pneumatic brake system, a steam radiator, a closed condensate container, a condensate discharge line leading from the said radiator to the said container and discharging into its upper portion, a connection to the open air leading to the upper portion of the said container, a water collecting tank, means forming a condensate feed line leading from the said container into the said water collecting tank and having an orifice in the lower portion of the said condensate container, the said condensate container and the said water collecting tank being in constant open communication by means of the said feed line means, an air pressure source in the said pneumatic brake system, means for intermittently and from time to time applying air pressure from the said pneumatic brake system on the condensate in the said condensate container, a non-return valve disposed between the said condensate discharge line and connection to the open air and the said condensate container and closing up the said condensate discharge line and connection from the said condensate container in its closed position, the said non-return valve opening in the direction towards the said condensate container and being acted upon in closing sense by the air pressure prevailing in the said condensate container, the condensate being fed through the said feed line means during the period of application of air pressure when the said nonreturn valve is kept by the said air pressure in its closed position.

2. In a steam heating system as claimed in claim 1, the said pneumatic brake system comprising a brake cylinder, a control valve of the said brake cylinder and an outlet of the said control valve through which the compressed air escapes upon release of the brakes, the said means for applying air pressure in the said condensate container consisting of a compressed air line leading from the said outlet into the said condensate container.

3. In a steam heating system as claimed in claim 1, said collecting line means including a condensate collecting line adapted to extend throughout a railway car, condensate collecting lines for each of several successive railway cars of a train, couplings for connecting each connecting line for each of said several cars to said first mentioned condensate collecting line, a locomotive for driving said cars, said water collecting tank being located on said locomotive and connected to said condensate feed line means.

4. In a steam heating system as claimed in claim 1, said collecting line means including a condensate collecting line adapted to extend throughout a railroad car, condensate collecting lines for each of several successive railway cars of a train, couplings for connecting each connecting line for each of said several cars to said first mentioned condensate collecting line, a locomotive for driving said cars, said Water collecting tank being positioned on the locomotive, a toilet installation in the car having an air-tight sealed service Water container, a condensate feed line leading into said service water container to the upper portion thereof, a line connecting the lower portion of said service Water container to said condensate collecting line, and said condensate collecting line being connected to said water collecting tank on the locomotive.

5. In a steam heating system as claimed in claim 3, the couplings connecting the said condensate collecting lines to the neighboring cars being positioned in a higher level than the main parts of the said condensate collecting lines.

6. In a steam heating system as claimed in claim 3, the said condensate collecting lines of the cars being connected by the coupling hose, the said coupling hose extending substantially axially with respect to said collecting lines.

7. In a steam heating system as claimed in claim 1, including a load acting upon the said non-return valve and keeping said non-return valve open in the intervals between the application of air pressure from the pneumatic brake system.

8. In a steam heating system as claimed in claim 7, the said load of the non-return valve being selected to permit the same to be closed only when the air pressure exceeds the pressure required for feeding the condensate.

9. In a steam heating system as claimed in claim 1,

including a toilet installation having a service water container, the service Water container constituting the said water collecting tank.

.10. In a steam heating system as claimed in claim 4, the said line connecting the said service water container to the said condensate collecting line being spaced from the bottom of the said service water container, so that a supply of service Water Will always remain in the service water container.

11. In a steam heating system of railroad cars, having a pneumatic brake system, a steam radiator, a closed condensate container, a condensate discharge line leading from said radiator to the said container and discharging into its upper portion, a connection to the open air leading to the upper portion of said container, a Water collecting tank, a condensate feed line leading from said container into said water collecting tank and having an orifice in the lower portion of said condensate container, said condensate container and said water collecting tank being in constant open communication by means of said feed line, an air pressure source in said pneumatic brake system, a pressure line leading to said condensate container, means for actuating said brakes, and means for connecting said pressure line to said source thereby applying air pressure from said source to said condensate container upon each actuation of said brakes, a non-return valve disposed between said condensate discharge line and connection to the open air and said condensate container and closing said condensate discharge line and connection from said condensate container in its closed position, said non-return valve opening in a direction towards said condensate container and being acted upon in a closing direction by the air pressure prevailing in said condensate container, the condensate being fed through said feed line during the period of application of air pressure when said non-return valve is maintained by said air pressure in its closed position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 586,932 McElroy July 20, 1897 816,939 Russell Apr. 3, 1906 902,148 Greenfield Oct. 27, 1908 923,968 Gold June 8, 1909 929,126 Gold July 27, 1909 2,061,605 Yoder Nov. 24, 1936 2,360,038 Burton Oct. 10, 1944 2,741,434 Prendergast Apr. 10, 1956 

